Bulk Upcycle Program FAQ
Q: Who qualifies for the Causes International’s “bulk” Upcycle program?
A: Causes International’s “bulk” Upcyling program is perfect for all charitable giving. Charity collection drives, events, third party events, board engagement solutions and services, Non-Profits such as schools, municipalities and community engagement programs, Corporations both employee/executive engagement as well as sustainability fulfillment, and all Enterprise organizations.
Q: What qualifies as a “bulk” Upcycle program?
A: A shipment qualifies as “bulk” when 10 or more of the following items: laptops, iPhones, smartphones, iProducts, or tablets, are collected and shipped in a single shipment.
Q: Are there any costs associated with the Upcycle program?
A: All Upcycling programs are free to our partners, their donors and outreach. The custom donation portal, shipping, insurance, confi rmation email and/or reminder to ship donation emails,(3), secure processing and documentation, refurbishing, recycling when required, shipping and insurance to recommerce to 3rd party, complete reporting metrics, reconciliation and check payment, customer service and accounting are assumed by Causes.
Q: How do I participate?
A: Register online or by emailing your organization name, address, email, telephone number and EIN number (if a charity/non-profit) to [email protected]. If you would like your logo to be showcased on your Upcycle portal please send along in jpeg, png or gif. Within 48 hours your custom Upcycle web portal will be ready to request shipping labels, track orders and provide feedback on the environmental impact of your Upcycle shipment. Once live, simply sign in to download the pre-paid UPS shipping labels, box up your devices, and ship. Upon arrival, devices will be inspected, data wiped, and a report will be submitted for your records. Payment will then be sent to the designated charity or as directed by your organization on or about the 15th of the month after the donation was processed.
Q: Where do the devices go?
A: Causes International practices strict No-Landfill and No-Export policies. Every Upcycled device received will either be resold for reuse or recycled responsibly with one of the company’s certified e-Steward partner recyclers.
Q: How are funds paid?
A: Payment will automatically be forwarded to the charity or non-profit that you designate. A copy of the check and the accompanying letter will be sent to you electronically. Your custom portal enables you to download all pertinent documentation for your records and accounting needs. This information can be sorted by year, quarter, or month, and can be exported into Excel and CSV formats.
Q: Where is this program available?
A: This program is available throughout the United States.
Q: What is the process of removing data from the devices?
A: Data is primarily wiped using OEM tools and clearing processes. For older devices, where OEM tools are not available, we utilize Pervacio, FutureDial and Greystone software solutions, which are qualified third party data wiping tools. Please see our detailed Data Security and Downstream Overview for more information.
Q: What is your quality assurance procedure?
A: All devices go through the same QC and QA process irrespective of the data wiping tool used (see above answer). We verify with a 100% QC inspection, then follow that with another 100% inspection. After two 100% inspections we do additional AQL sampling to ensure that all customer content is removed from that device.
Q: What are the minimum and maximum number of devices that can be sent in a given shipment?
A: Each order must have a minimum of 10 devices. There is no maximum; you and your outreach may download as many shipping labels as necessary to meet the demands of the volume being sent. Labels can be requested up to 10 at a time. Should you require additional labels you need only make additional requests.
Q: What types of devices are eligible for this service?
A: Any type of mobile device, tablet, laptop or handheld Apple product (e.g. iPods, iPads, MacBooks, iPhones) are eligible. We ask that you include batteries and chargers, but not doing so will have no impact on your donation value. Other accessories, such as cases and headphones, may be sent in for recycling but will not yield any charitable value. Have other devices that you would like to donate? Send us the information to [email protected] and we will research it for you!
Q: How does Causes International determine the value of a device?
A: Prices are determined by model, functionality and condition. Device value can range from zero dollar devices that will be recycled at no cost to your organization to in excess of $200 for other models in good working condition.
Q: How does Causes International report on the results of the program to the customer?
A: Causes International creates a mobile device Upcycle management portal for each customer. It provides itemized reporting and easy access to information on how the program is supporting the cause as well as environmental and corporate sustainability goals. The itemized reporting consists of a complete listing of all devices by model and type, ESN/IMEI/ Serial tracking, data wipe verification, donation value (by device), and downstream destination (reused or recycled). The environmental reporting module includes metrics on the number of devices reused and recycled, the reduction in carbon emissions (kg) and weight of devices recycled through the program.